Maine Community Youth Assistance Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization and community coalition which works to prevent adolescent drug and alcohol abuse and promote positive mental health among teens in Maine Township, Illinois. Contact tcollins@mcyaf.com 847-858-7090

Bev will talk to our group concerning her findings and the importance of our Dictionary Project and the impact of poverty on those skills. Also what we as parents and grandparents can do to encourage reading in the next generations.

Beverly Otto, Ph.D., an early childhood educator for over 30 years, is professor emeritus in the Teacher Education Department at Northeastern Illinois University. She earned her doctorate at Northwestern University in teaching and learning processes, with a focus on emergent literacy. Dr. Otto teaches courses in language and literacy development for preservice and inservice teachers, along with research for classroom teachers. Her major professional goal is preparing teachers to support children’s lifelong learning through language and literacy development. Dr. Otto also served as department chair as well as associate dean in the College of Education.

Dr. Otto is the author of Literacy Development in Early Childhood: Reflective Teaching for Birth to Age 8 (Pearson) and Language Development in Early Childhood Education (Pearson). She has authored articles published in international, national, and state professional journals. Her field-based research on emergent literacy has been presented at international, national, state, and local conferences. She has served as a consultant to early childhood centers, school districts, and the Illinois State Board of Education.

Lorena and Ken Bredemeier gave their first presentation to our club 4 years ago and are returning to give us an update on their most current projects.

Lorena and Ken Bredemeier began their philanthropic work as a result of Hurricane Mitch in 1998.13 years later that “relief” effort has evolved with an educational focus as HEDAC (Honduras Educational Development Assistance Corporation), a 501c3 corporation.15 schools have been adopted into a support program that refurbishes schools, engages communities, teachers, parents, students and the municipality to work with HEDAC to help children of our targeted communities achieve their full potential.Lorena (President of HEDAC) and Ken (board member) look forward to introducing the successes, the challenges and the great need for the continuation of helping our communities help themselves.

The Great Escape will serve sandwiches. In the past, our club participated in packaging hundreds of meals for Feeding Children Worldwide. Eldon Tracy will again bring his helpers to set up our room for this food packaging project. Bring your spouse, coworkers to help.

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Margaret Pearson, Regional Coordinator for the Illinois Secretary of State Organ/Tissue Donor Program, will present a short informational program on the importance of organ and tissue donation Thursday October 8, 2015.

She will discuss the need for more donors in Illinois, touch on donor numbers nationally and statewide, reveal which organ most people are waiting for, and discuss the many myths surrounding donation--including the top three. Individuals interested in registering as donors after the program may do so with a valid Illinois driver's license or State I.D. Small giveaways and brochures will be handed out.

The Great Escape will serve sandwiches. In the past, our club participated in packaging hundreds of meals for Feeding Children Worldwide. Eldon Tracy will again bring his helpers to set up our room for this food packaging project. Bring your spouse, coworkers to help.